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Influence of Social Status, Distance from Cover, and Group Size on Feeding and Vigilance in White-Crowned Sparrows

Influence of Social Status, Distance from Cover, and Group Size on Feeding and Vigilance in... Abstract The trade-off of food return against predation risk by foraging White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) was assessed using focal sampling. Pecking and vigilance rates were compared among different social classes, bird densities, and distances from cover. Contrary to expectations from previous studies and from theory, pecking rate was significantly higher in subordinate than in dominant individuals. Pecking rate increased with distance from cover and was not affected by density. The only significant trend for vigilance rate was a decrease with distance from cover, which was counter to expectations. Increased vigilance towards conspecifics may have balanced any decrease in vigilance for predators as group size increased, or as distance from cover decreased. This content is only available as a PDF. Copyright © 1995 by American Ornithological Society Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Auk: Ornithological Advances Oxford University Press

Influence of Social Status, Distance from Cover, and Group Size on Feeding and Vigilance in White-Crowned Sparrows

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References (31)

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 by American Ornithological Society Inc. All rights reserved.
ISSN
0004-8038
eISSN
1938-4254
DOI
10.2307/4089032
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract The trade-off of food return against predation risk by foraging White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) was assessed using focal sampling. Pecking and vigilance rates were compared among different social classes, bird densities, and distances from cover. Contrary to expectations from previous studies and from theory, pecking rate was significantly higher in subordinate than in dominant individuals. Pecking rate increased with distance from cover and was not affected by density. The only significant trend for vigilance rate was a decrease with distance from cover, which was counter to expectations. Increased vigilance towards conspecifics may have balanced any decrease in vigilance for predators as group size increased, or as distance from cover decreased. This content is only available as a PDF. Copyright © 1995 by American Ornithological Society Inc. All rights reserved.

Journal

Auk: Ornithological Advances – Oxford University Press

Published: Oct 1, 1995

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